Reminiscences of Michael Kelly

urn:iso:std:iso:639:ed-3:eng

298-299

text excerpt

At the theatre at Brighton, Mr. Harley (then a provincial performer in Mr. Trotter's company) was acting. I went to see him in "Bombastes Furioso," in which he introduced a song of his own writing to Braham's air, "Said a smile to a tear" from the opera of "False Alarms." His acting and singing pleased me so much, that I wrote the next day to Mr. Arnold, recommending him as a most promising subject, more particularly for his own theatre, the English Opera House; and strenuously advised him to engage Harley without delay. By return of post, I received Mr. Arnold's reply, enclosing his proposals for an engagement, which Mr. Harley accepted. The rapid strides he has made, and is still making, in the good opinion of the public, and his employers, prove that my early opinion of his merits was not without foundation; and I am happy to have been, in some degree, instrumental in introducing so useful an actor, and worthy a young man, to the London stage. He made his first appearance in London, at the English Opera House, on the 15th of July, 1815, in the part of Marcelli, in the opera of "The Devil's Bridge."

excerpt from 'Reminiscences of Michael Kelly' pp. 298-299 (199 words)

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